PVH Corp. Chairman and CEO Manny Chirico announced PVH’s patronage of Target Gender Equality at the United Nations Global Compact Leaders’ Summit, held on a virtual stage on June 15. Target Gender Equality is a flagship UN Global Compact initiative that aligns to our current target to achieve gender parity in leadership positions by 2030. It is designed to drive business action in support of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5.5, which calls for women’s full participation and equal opportunities for leadership by 2030.
Remarking on PVH’s support of the initiative, Chirico commented: “The vast majority of the workforce across the entire apparel value chain – and two-thirds of PVH associates – are women, so gender equality is a clear focus area for us. It’s something I’m deeply passionate about and our patronage of the Global Compact’s Target Gender Equality initiative reaffirms our commitment to achieving gender parity in leadership – and calls on others to do the same.” The announcement was made during a panel discussion focused on the role businesses must play to “Build Back Better and Recover Stronger” as we begin to emerge from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation centered on how both the pandemic and the recent movements against systemic racism and social inequality in the US and around the world have exposed the fragility and injustices of many of our global systems. Panelists addressed how businesses must accelerate the work to address social and environmental injustice to build back business better and with a stronger foundation than before.
PVH’s patronage of the Target Gender Equality initiative and commitment to equal opportunities for women is one of the many areas where PVH is looking to advance inclusion and diversity (I&D) across the company and globally. Over the next few months, PVH will be publishing a set of additional targets focused on racial equality, representation and advancement, with a commitment to be transparent on the actions being taken to meet these targets and improve representation across the organization.
PVH believes that accountability drives action, and through these targets the company creates accountability to itself and its stakeholders. Speaking about the importance of I&D at PVH, Manny emphasized: “It’s important for us to acknowledge that there are many areas in which we must direct our efforts to achieve inclusivity and equality, and we’re paying close attention to the intersectionality of our inclusion and diversity work. This announcement is being made in June, known around the world as Pride month, where we stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community, and during a global movement against systemic racism. Now more than ever, fostering an inclusive and diverse environment where every individual is valued and is presented with equal opportunities must be a top priority.”
Thanking PVH, UN Global Compact CEO & Executive Director Sanda Ojiambo said: “Women's business leadership is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Diversity drives innovation, increases profitability and boosts business performance on environmental, social and governance standards. The UN Global Compact calls on all companies to set ambitious targets to achieve gender balance at all levels of management and leadership and is rolling out Target Gender Equality in an initial 19 countries to support our participants in making progress and tackling barriers to equality.”
Learn more about our Forward Fashion strategy and our commitment to achieving gender parity.